Chapter 249

I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 249: Red

Meanwhile, at Castle Valdrova.
—Ferda-nim will arrive shortly.
—Y-yes!
—There is no need to be nervous. Ferda-nim is…
Ruri’s words paused for a moment.
She remembered the moment she saw Ferda’s right hand in the audience chamber.
—Ruri?
—…You are unharmed.
Ruri finished her sentence as if nothing had happened.
Valdrova nodded in silence.
—Ferda-ssi is coming…
Valdrova placed a hand over her own chest unconsciously.
Her heart was beating fiercely, as if it were about to tear through her skin and burst out.
—Refreshments have been prepared. Tea has also been arranged so Ferda-nim can brew it for you himself.
—Yes… Huh?
Realizing the implication of those words a moment late, Valdrova asked.
—Do you have somewhere urgent to go?
Ruri fidgeted with her fingers as she answered.
—I apologize to Master-nim… but I would like to take a vacation starting today.
Valdrova’s face filled with surprise.
Ruri, who had never said she wanted to rest, who was so sharp and proper, declaring a vacation.
—Yes. It is fine.
It was truly a joyful thing for Valdrova.
She had thought that Ruri should rest at least once.
—Where will you go for your vacation?
—…I plan to spend it at a place called Crystal Lake, in the west. I want to fish, buy some food, and enjoy a bit of leisure.
—The west…
Valdrova’s eyes grew moist as she looked at Ruri.
She had always met such gazes with confidence, but Ruri gently closed hers, avoiding Valdrova’s eyes.
—How many days will you be away?
—One week… should be enough.
—Do you have money?
—The money I have on hand will be sufficient for travel expenses. In the worst case, I have ways to secure funds, so there is no need to worry.
—All right, I understand.
Valdrova said with a smile.
Her smile was always gentle.
—Go safely and return.
—Yes.
Ruri bowed deeply and turned around.
The moment she was out of Valdrova’s sight, her face contorted severely.
She repeated words she could not utter aloud, moving only her lips.
“I am sorry.”
Ruri had promised Valdrova.
That she would protect her man.
Yet Ruri failed to protect that man.
“If it had not been for Odograsado-nim… Would I have been able to restore that right hand?”
She threatened, overturned everything,
Even after doing all that, if she had been unable to restore it,
If she had returned with Ferda’s right hand still wrapped in bandages.
Would Valdrova have greeted Ruri with a smile?
“She would have.”
Valdrova would have forgiven her.
She would have comforted her, saying it could not be helped, that she did her best.
Because she is a pathetic person who cannot even get properly angry.
“That is why I cannot forgive myself.”
Ruri knows that because she cannot get angry, things rot from within.
She could not burden her with the things she had done herself, or even the things she had not done, she who had lived blaming herself for everything.
That was why a vacation was necessary.
However, not to go to a lake in the west and enjoy leisure peacefully.
Her destination was elsewhere.
The place she was heading to was the Far North, where cold air flows even in midsummer.
It was the Silverwind Headquarters.

Having swiftly resolved only the important matters in the town, Ferda returned to the castle.
The nobles of the Far East planned to formally prepare a banquet for Ferda inside the castle.
He made his way toward the castle on the mid-slope along with them, and an unexpected flag stood planted before the castle gate.
“A sign that a distinguished guest is present.”
It is a flag rarely used.
They did not even use that flag when the Princess and the Second Prince visited.
Which meant a being of even higher rank was present right now.
Ferda knew immediately who that distinguished guest was.
Ferda stopped the carriage and called out to Consillus, saying:
—From here on, we will enter on foot.
—Yes.
—The lady of the castle will appear, so tell them to tidy their appearance and make complete preparations.
—The lady of the castle… Understood.
Consillus, having received the order, relayed it to each of the nobles’ carriages, and the nobles stepped down from their seats following Ferda.
Thus, they directed their steps toward the castle gate.
—Show proper etiquette!
A resounding female voice echoed.
Those words were originally what Ruri was supposed to do.
However, the owner of the voice that arrived was Garnet, who had returned first.
At those words, the nobles fell to their knees.
Shortly after, the castle doors opened and someone stepped out carefully from within.
The nobles, who had been stealing glances with their heads slightly raised, saw the silhouette of that being and lowered their heads again in shock.
What emerged was the silhouette of a woman.
However, two pairs of horns and a thick tail that could not exist on an ordinary human were in place.
It was certain.
Their lady, who had established herself in the Far East but whom they had never properly seen even once, stood before them now.
“Terrifying pressure.”
“I must not lose my mind…!”
There was no Dragon Fear.
They were simply nervous, but to this extent.
Just standing before a dragon made them feel as though they were suffocating.
If they were told to raise their heads now, they knew how unsightly they would appear.
Everyone knelt, and Ferda stepped forward a bit, took her hand, and paid his respects.
—I greet the Great Phase of Fire, Valdrova-nim.
—…
Valdrova did not answer.
She merely nodded briefly, accepting the greeting.
“As expected… a dragon, she is.”
“She is terribly strict with her partner as well.”
It was enough to accept it that way.
Wearing a mask, without even offering a reply, that appearance seemed cold as ice.
She looked unconcerned, as if she naturally knew he would win this war and return.
Yet Ferda knew.
“She is nervous.”
It was not only the nobles who were nervous.
He could feel the sweat on her hand, which proved just how nervous Valdrova was.
She must have been waiting thinking Ferda would come alone, then froze when she belatedly noticed the crowd following him.
Valdrova withdrew her hand and climbed the stairs in silence.
Ferda stood up and spoke to Count Consillus, who was behind him.
—I may not be able to attend the banquet, so if I am not there, please enjoy yourselves.
—Without the protagonist, how could we…?
Consillus began to say that, then suddenly realized something and nodded.
—Understood. I hope the two of you have a pleasant time.
He must have imagined something impolite, but Ferda did not care.
Ferda followed Valdrova.
“Ruri is nowhere to be seen.”
The girl who clung to Valdrova’s side like a clingy child was not there.
Suddenly, the tears Ruri had shown Ferda crossed his mind.
“I hope nothing bad has happened.”
The fact that Valdrova was so nervous led to speculation that something might have occurred with Ruri.
Stray thoughts attempted to torment Ferda.
However, now was not the time to dwell on such things.
They approached the meeting place.
The place Valdrova led them to was the gallery overlooking the western landscape.
These days she visited the office, the reception room, and various places, but officially, they always met at that site.
—I will open the door for you.
Ferda stepped forward and opened the door for her, then followed her inside.
The moment the sound of the door latch locking was heard,
The stray thoughts that were trying to dig into Ferda’s head vanished in an instant.
Ferda realized.
That from a place where everyone’s gazes were felt, it had become just the two of them.
Recognizing that, he turned his head,
And Valdrova’s gestures had become those of a lovely girl.
—Ferda-ssi…
A clingy voice, as if her heart had melted, came out plaintive and loving.
How much she had missed him melted into her voice.
She turned her body, leaning toward him as if to throw herself into Ferda’s arms.
Ferda braced himself to catch that body.
—Ah.
Yet she did not embrace him.
The body that had leaned forward suddenly drew back, and her head pulled back even further than her body.
Her horns were shining fiercely today as well.
—I am sorry, I almost caused trouble by getting overly excited on my own again.
—…It is fine.
Ferda awkwardly lowered his two hands, which had lost their destination.
He always thought.
Even if his chest were pierced, he simply wanted to hold her tight.
As if reading that disappointment,
Valdrova approached carefully again and gently squeezed Ferda’s right hand.
Ferda raised the hand holding his, kissed it, and said:
—I have returned, Eleanor.
—Welcome back, Ferda-ssi.
She caressed Ferda’s right hand as if it were precious.
The physical contact of a reunion after several weeks made Ferda nervous.
—T-that is……! Ru, Ruri went on vacation.
—I see. So that is why she was nowhere to be seen?
—Y-yes!
It was strange.
That chihuahua-like maid on vacation.
It was not incomprehensible.
In this war, Ruri had suffered terribly on a mental level.
I wonder if she told Valdrova about his hand being cut off.
Suddenly, such a worry arose, but he quickly wiped it from his mind.
As if reading this thought would be a disaster, Ferda decided to change the subject.
—I will prepare tea. Please sit and wait.
—Y-yes!
Valdrova sat down obediently at the balcony table, and Ferda prepared boiling water.
The atmosphere was truly awkward.
—Were there no issues in the territory?
—Yes, it was fine.
—Is that so…….
—…….
—…….
His mind went blank.
Normally he was the one to start the conversation, but something prevented the words from continuing.
The reason was immediately clear.
At times like this, Ruri—who always served as a bridge—was not there.
“Being alone is not entirely good either.”
I need to match this atmosphere, but will I be able to do it alone?
Feeling such anxiety, he poured reddish-black tea into his cup.
They drank a cup in silence.
It tasted strangely bitter.
—Lately…….
The first to speak was Valdrova.
—Monsters have not been appearing much lately.
—Is that so?
—Yes.
Those words also meant that there was no place to vent her blood qi.
—Is it quite severe?
—T-that is…… quite severe……?
—It seems it was severe while I was away.
Ferda worried with a serious expression.
Seeing that expression, Valdrova fidgeted with her fingers.
—Ah, no, that is…… while Ferda-ssi was by my side, there were no times when I had to vent the blood qi alone, and it calmed down a lot, so I do not really need it that much…… no, that is…….
Valdrova rambled incoherently.
A woman terribly bad at lying.
While Ferda waited calmly for her words, Valdrova bit her lip and confessed the truth.
—I am sorry. I only said that because I wanted to feel Ferda-ssi’s mana.
—Ah, is that so?
—Uuuu…….
Valdrova covered her face inside the mask with her hands.
—I am sorry. Ferda-ssi……. We finally met after such a long time…… and this woman only has vulgar thoughts…….
Vulgar, she says.
I just wanted to say that it is even more vulgar for you to say that.
Ferda reflected for a moment, then stood up from his seat.
He took a chair and sat next to Valdrova.
—It is fine. Please, your hand…….
—Yes…….
Her slender fingers.
Ferda attempted to send his magic power.
It was then.
Simultaneously with the movement of mana, a strange movement appeared from the Dark Circle.
At the same time, the image of Valdrova buried in Ferda’s memory resurfaced vividly.
A village in flames.
Valdrova shedding tears of blood.
—Ferda-ssi?
Her voice awoke him to reality.
—Why are you like this?
Ferda raised his head.
Two pairs of horns and red hair.
And only the porcelain mask was visible.
Is that why? That desperate expression tormented Ferda once more.
Ferda spoke to Valdrova:
—Just a little…….
—Yes?
—Could you endure it just a little longer?
Ferda’s mana is mana made of emotion.
Valdrova had said that this mana was incredibly warm and cozy.
At this moment, it felt as though he would deliver even that memory and anxiety he had experienced to her.
For Valdrova, this was the first time Ferda had spoken like this.
When she asked him to hold her hand for trivial reasons, he had never refused even once.
Why would that be?
—I will.
She felt curious, but did not ask.
Instead, Valdrova carefully wrapped her hand around Ferda’s.
—In truth…… it is fine even without that.
She lowered her head and leaned against Ferda’s shoulder.
—Just holding Ferda-ssi’s hand and being like this makes me incredibly happy.
Sounds of breathing and a question that held warmth.
—Ferda-ssi too, right?
Yes, me too.
Normally he would have answered like that with certainty.
—That is not true.
Ferda said that.
Valdrova was surprised by Ferda’s answer and raised her head to look at him.
—Eleanor.
Ferda’s face looked incredibly sad.
—Believing that as long as I held a heart that loved you, I could achieve anything, I moved forward. I thought there was nothing else to desire if I only had that.
Ferda had stood on the brink of death in this war.
Ferda experienced having his body taken over, and even saw hallucinations that afflicted Valdrova.
At that moment, Ferda felt it.
—Yet it was not so. I…….
He tightly squeezed that hand they held together.
As if he never wanted to let go, even if it meant dying.
—I am a person with more greed than I thought.
Eyes like a deep lake gazed deeply.
She wanted to look away, but could not.
Valdrova knew those eyes.
When they went together to the Demonic Land, when she was suffering—those were the eyes he had back then.
Those eyes had decided something, and Valdrova had no choice but to face them.
—If there is greed…….
She asked with a trembling voice.
—Does that mean there is something you desire?
—Yes.
—What sort of thing is it?
She asked, but in truth she knew.
Ferda’s blue eyes had always spoken, and had conveyed it clearly to Valdrova.
Only, Ferda had never conveyed it with his mouth, so she had pretended not to know.
And now was that moment.
—When we meet, could you take off that mask now?
An inescapable moment had arrived.
Valdrova lowered her head and withdrew her hands in silence.
Unbefitting the title Phase of Power, her two hands heading toward the mask merely struggled.
—……I cannot. With my strength, it is absolutely impossible…….
Just as disappointment was about to brush past, Valdrova’s face drew near to Ferda’s.
—Then…… will Ferda-ssi take it off for me?
Ferda nodded in silence and reached out his hand.
He could understand why she was trembling so much.
It was something he had always yearned for, yet even his resolve seemed to want to evade and stop.
Emotion was the main part, but fear also pricked like an awl in a pocket.
What if Valdrova’s face shedding tears of blood appeared?
The anxiety created by the Dark Circle tormented Ferda.
Ferda’s resolve peeled back that white porcelain.
Like lifting a thick veil to confirm the bride’s face.
That face, so precious to Ferda, shone clearly with light.
Golden eyes and vertically slit pupils.
Someone might call it an unsettling light, but to Ferda, they were incredibly beautiful eyes.
—Ferda-ssi?
Her small lips moved vividly.
Overcoming the lump in her throat from the tension, she answered.
—Yes.
—My face…… what is it like?
At the shy question, Ferda scanned her face once more.
—It is beautiful.
A very beautiful appearance, far from what he had worried about.
However, only one thing was the same.
—And it is red.
—Is it…… very red?
—Yes.
Even at this moment,
She was blooming even redder.